Environmental Impact Assessment – PPC expansion

Involving communities in the Environmental Impact Assessment process – Riebeek West and the PPC expansion.

In 2006, the Green Connection was approached by a group of concerned residents from the Riebeek Valley near Malmesbury in the Western Cape. Residents expressed concern with the way in which the EIA was being run, and felt that they lacked the expertise and experience to ensure that their voices were heard.

PPC was proposing to expand its cement production facility in the valley. Residents were concerned that such expansion would lead to a significant impact on their way of life and wanted The Green Connection to guide and facilitate their input into the EIA process.

Residents expressed concern with the way in which the EIA was being run, and felt that they lacked the expertise and experience to ensure that their voices were heard. The Green Connection worked with the residents, assisting them to obtain extensions to deadlines so that they could read and understand the voluminous documents, assisted with providing commentary on the documents, and watchdogging the process to ensure the people’s environmental rights were not violated.

The EIA report has now been finalised and is awaiting a decision from the Western Cape Provincial authorities.
If you want to know more about the specific inputs into the PPC EIA, or if you are in a similar situation and would like help, contact liziwe@mweb.co.za